A quick look at French wines

The following sets out to explain as simply as possible, a few of the ins and outs of French wine. This is done with the firm belief that a little knowledge will greatly heighten your enjoyment of wine and could also save you money, or at least help you spend it more wisely.

Many people consider French wine to be the best in the world, and, for a variety of reasons, this is probably true.

First of all the French climate is perfect for wine growing. Or rather the climates are perfect, for within France there are many different "micro climates" which lead to different styles or types of wine. For example, the milder weather of the Loire produces light, dry refreshing wines, while the long, strong summer sun creates the big, round, full bodied wines of the Rhone Valley.

Of course climate is not the only factor. The wine regions of France which produce the really great wines not only enjoy an ideal climate, but have the poor, stony soil which all grape vines seem to love.

Thirdly, the French have quite a bit of experience. They have been making wine for about 2,000 years, so they ought to have got the hang of it by now. Lastly the French have imposed very strict region by region quality control on their wine.

Essentially the wines are divided into four categories, Appellation Controlée (AC), Vins Délimités de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS), Vins de Pays and Vins de table.

All the great wines of France have AC or VDQS on the label. Even if you don’t know the particular wine, either of these inscriptions is a guarantee of quality and authenticity.

The third denomination, Vins de Pays, does not represent great wines, at least not by French standards. However you can be sure that they are very good quality, and extremely drinkable.

Vins de table refers to the wine which the French use for every day drinking and which is usually sold under a brand name.

These classifications are concerned only with quality, not taste or flavour. And, as already mentioned, even within the top quality wines there are many quite different "styles". Alsace produces wine which is quite different from Bordeaux, although both are AC. So how can you tell which comes from where, and so return for another bottle of a taste that you enjoyed.

Bottle shape is one way to identify wine by region.

1 = Burgundy & Beaujolais
2 = Loire
3 = Bordeaux
4 = Vin de Table
5 = Champagne
6 = Cotes du Rhone
7 = Alsace
8 = Provence
9 = Languedoc-Roussillon

Other countries also use these bottle shapes so look for "Produce of France"
written on the label.

The label can often give clues to what is inside the bottle.

Here is a list of label terminology and the meanings.

  • Sec = Dry
  • Doux = Sweet
  • Demi-Sec = Medium Dry and therefor Medium Sweet
  • Mis en Bouteille dans la Region = Bottled in the region where it was produced
  • The Date i.e. 1999 = The year the wine was made. Some bottles contain blends from several "years" and these cannot carry a date.
  • Vin de Table = Table Wine
  • Claret = An English term for Bordeaux red wine.
  • Château/Domaine = A named vineyard.
  • Négociant = A French wine dealer/shipper. He may buy wine in bottle from the producer, or in barrel and bottle it himself.

Serving your wine.

Wine should not be pampered. It is not a precious object. It is for drinking and enjoying, but if you take a little care in the way you serve your wine it will taste better.

Red wine has most flavour when served at or just below room temperature. Remove the cork about an hour before you drink a Claret or Burgundy to let the wine breathe.

White and rosé wines should be chilled, but not in the freezer. If you want to get really technical, sweet whites should be served colder than dry whites.

Generally speaking the glass should be bowl shaped and tapering in at the top to hold the fragrance of the wine which is very much part of the drinking sensation. Only fill the glass two-thirds full to leave room for the bouquet.

It is wrong to sip wine like sherry. Take a decent-sized mouthful, try not to swallow it straight away and give your taste buds a chance to go to work.

What has gone before is what the experts say,............... but the main thing is to do what agrees with you the most, and enjoy your wine.